


Murder

by Continental



Category: Alkaline Trio (Band)
Genre: Angst, Can be read as no pairing, Crime, Death, Gen, Murder, but it’s Matt/Derek/Dan in my head
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 10:46:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14953202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Continental/pseuds/Continental
Summary: Matt was outside, putting gas in their car and gazing into the distance. What he was looking at, no one could tell; aside from the lights of the station, it was pitch black for miles.Perhaps he was thinking. Perhaps they were all thinking.





	Murder

They were standing in the glare of a 7-eleven at three in the morning. Dan was hazily reading the label on a package of cheddar cheese popcorn, and Derek had been staring blankly at the refrigerated drinks for the past twenty minutes. Dan had occasionally touched his shoulder to make sure he was still alive, and each time he had groaned, shrugged off his hand, and mumbled, “I’m lookin’.” 

Matt was outside, putting gas in their car and gazing into the distance. What he was looking at, no one could tell; aside from the lights of the station, it was pitch black for miles. 

Perhaps he was thinking. Perhaps they were all thinking.

Derek finally turned away from the cold drinks and settled on a cup of black coffee. At the register he asked for a pack of cigarettes and paid with a ten dollar bill. 

“I didn’t know you smoke.”

“I do now.” Derek pulled a cigarette from the package and placed it between his lips. “Give me a light.”

Dan pulled the lighter from his pocket and lit the cigarette. There was blood on the corner of Derek’s mouth, stark against the unnatural whiteness of his face. The store clerk was watching them with tired, bloodshot eyes.

“Did you bite your lip, D?”

Derek was watching over his shoulder, out through the glass door. He blinked and looked up at Dan, who motioned with his hand. 

“Oh. Yeah, I guess I did,” he mumbled, wiping the substance from his face. He studied his own fingers like he’d never seen them before.

“Are you okay?” 

The question was void of any real meaning. Of course he wasn’t okay. None of them were ever going to be okay again.

Derek shrugged, smiling with his empty eyes.

“I’m great.” He looked like he wanted to say something else. He probably wanted to say a lot of things. There was a lot to say, but really, nothing to say at all. 

Dan asked, “Are you ready to go?”

Derek swallowed, and took a shaky breath.

“Yeah. Yeah, let’s get out of here.”

Matt finished filling up their car as they left the store. No one said a word, just got back in the vehicle and drove. It was a completely silent drive for the first few minutes, aside from the occasional sound of Derek choking on his cigarette.

Dan stared out the passenger side window, wanting to fall asleep but unable to with the adrenaline still fresh in his veins. Matt had never drove fast, but he wanted him to, just this one time. He didn’t want to be there any longer than necessary.

“I’ve never done this before.” Derek’s voice was just above a whisper. His words were void of any form of emotion, and broke through the rigid silence like a fading memory.

“Welcome to the fucking club,” Matt said, eyes fixated on the road. He was trying to sound collected, like he had everything figured out, but the quiver in his voice was painfully obvious. Whether it was fear or excitement, they didn’t know. Matt himself didn’t know.

Dan was quiet. He pulled his legs into his seat and rested his arms and head on his knees. 

The car fell into a silence that wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable. It wasn’t comfortable by any means, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was a knowing silence. The kind of agonizing silence that exists when everyone in a room is sharing a dirty little secret.

There was a bridge ahead, only made visible by the glow of Matt’s headlights and the faint light of the moon. He pulled over, just as they got to the center of the bridge. There was a click, and the headlights shut off, bathing them in darkness.

“Alright,” he said, unclipping his seatbelt. For a moment, he just sat there, waiting. Dan and Derek didn’t move.

“Come on,” Matt said. Derek looked from him to Danny, but didn’t make a move to get out of the car. Dan was staring straight ahead, perfectly still.

Matt slammed his hand on the dashboard. “Come on!” 

Derek swore under his breath, and got out of the car. Dan started to follow him. 

“No, Danny, I’ll do it,” Derek said, blocking his way. 

“No.” Dan tried to go around him, but Derek pushed him back. “Fuck, Derek, we’re in this together!”

“No. This is mine and Matt’s business, you just got dragged into it.” Dan started to protest, but Derek cut him off.

“Danny– I helped. You didn’t. You don’t have a part in this, and I’m sorry you’re here now, but…” Derek backed away, pointing at the passenger door. “Wait in the car.”

Dan cursed, then got back in the car and slammed the door.

Matt opened the trunk.

“Alright. You grab the feet and I’ll get the head–“

The biggest trash bag was the first to go. It was heavy enough on its own, but with extra weights thrown in it was impossible for a single person to lift.

Just to make sure it sunk, Matt had said. 

Then the other bags went: two with bloodied clothes, one with a pocket knife, one with an electrical cord. All of them weighted down with dollar store dumbbells because Matt had to make damn sure they sunk. 

It all made Derek want to vomit.

When they were finished, the two of them stood there, leaning against the railing, gazing out over the moonlit river. Passersby would never suspect anything had happened that night. The place was too peaceful. Too empty.

“You want to stay and watch the sunrise?”

“No, Matt. I don’t want to stay and watch the fucking sunrise.”

Matt sighed, rubbing his face. “You’re making this so difficult.”

“Excuse me?” Derek spat. “I’m making this difficult? Me?”

“This was supposed to be fun,” Matt said. “We were supposed to have fun tonight, Derek.”

Derek laughed, putting his cigarette out and hurling it into the lake, letting it sink with what was left of his innocence and morality. He could hear muffled sobbing coming from inside the car.

“Well I hope you had your fucking fun, Matt.”


End file.
